The Texas House of Representatives gave initial approval on Wednesday to a bill that would establish a state-backed study into the use of psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine to treat conditions such as PTSD and depression.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, the body also unanimously approved a complementary measure that would dictate that substances reclassified under federal law be similarly controlled under state law \u201cas soon as practicable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Together, the proposals are designed to help prepare the state for what supporters see as the eventual federal approval of psychedelic-assisted therapy.<\/p>\n
On the study bill, representatives voted 98\u201341 to pass HB 4014, from Rep. John Bucy III (D), on second reading. A third reading vote on final passage, expected soon, would send the measure to the Senate.<\/p>\n
In its current form, the bill would create a study program under the state Health and Human Services Commission, which would assess clinical trials and published literature into the efficacy of psychedelics\u2014specifically MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine\u2014as a treatment PTSD, depression and other mental health disorders.<\/p>\n
Officials would also review U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actions around the therapies, evaluate treatment guidelines and make recommendations to eventually ensure legal access for Texas patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis bill will prepare Texas for the safe and efficient integration of psychedelic therapies into its healthcare system,\u201d Bucy said on the House floor, \u201censuring that Texans struggling with PTSD, depression and other mental health conditions have safe, affordable access to innovative treatment upon FDA approval.\u201d<\/p>\n
By December 1, 2026, the commission would need to provide a report to state lawmakers with results of the study as well as \u201cany recommendations for legislative or other action necessary to ensure patient access to psychedelic therapies for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other co-occurring conditions after those therapies are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prior to Wednesday\u2019s vote, House lawmakers amended the proposal to restore text that says the state would work on the project in consultation with researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas at Austin\u2019s Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy. That language had been removed last month through a committee amendment.<\/p>\n
Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R), who introduced the amendment, said<\/a> the schools \u201care leading institutions in the field of psychedelic medicine and research and are well equipped to complete this study.\u201d<\/p>\n The amendment came at the request of the Health and Human Services Commission, he noted, \u201cand will reduce the cost or fiscal note of this bill by more than 50 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n The\u00a0bill<\/a>\u00a0would take effect September 1 of this year and expire September 1, 2027.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to happen. This is coming,\u201d Bucy said in testimony at a separate committee hearing last month. \u201cThis is the study bill to make sure we\u2019re ready when it comes to implement.\u201d<\/p>\n Another measure approved by the House on second reading Tuesday\u2014HB 4813, from Rep. Tom Oliverson (R)\u2014also aims to minimize delay at the state level if and when FDA approves a new drug\u2014such as psilocybin or MDMA\u2014for treatment. It would dictate that substances reclassified under federal law be similarly controlled under state law \u201cas soon as practicable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis bill essentially directs the DSHS commissioner to prioritize the rescheduling of certain substances that the FDA is in the process of rescheduling, so that our veterans can have access to them more quickly to treat PTSD,\u201d Oliverson said on the House floor, with colleagues audibly applauding in the background.<\/p>\n The chamber voted 142\u20130 to give initial second reading approval to the bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n In previous comments at a committee hearing, Oliverson noted that psilocybin and MDMA are both in Phase 3 clinical trials \u201cand are likely to be approved by the FDA, you know, any day now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll we\u2019re seeking to do is to amend statute to accelerate that process for these very promising compounds that have been shown to be very effective in these conditions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n An anesthesiologist, Oliverson said at the time that the goal is to \u201cavoid an unnecessary, lengthy delay\u201d to access to psychedelic therapies in Texas in the event the federal government approves them.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a doctor, I\u2019m just telling you my own personal feeling is I want people to have access to drugs that work,\u201d he said, \u201cand I want them to have access to it as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Also testifying in support of the measure at the earlier hearing was Lynnette Averill, a Baylor College of Medicine professor and director of research at the school\u2019s Menninger Clinic.<\/p>\n Averill said the proposal would build on a measure passed in Texas in 2021\u00a0to study psychedelics as a possible treatment for veterans with PTSD<\/a>, which she said helped make the state \u201ca pioneer in this space.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile last week, a Texas House committee approved a Senate-passed bill that would prohibit cities from putting any citizen initiative on local ballots that would decriminalize marijuana<\/a>\u00a0or other controlled substances\u2014as several localities have already done despite lawsuits from the state attorney general.<\/p>\n Under the proposal, state law would be amended to say that local entities \u201cmay not place an item on a ballot, including a municipal charter or charter amendment, that would provide that the local entity will not fully enforce\u201d state drug laws.<\/p>\n While several courts have\u00a0previously upheld local cannabis decriminalization laws<\/a>, an appellate court comprised of three conservative justices appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has recently pushed back against two of those rulings, siding with the state in its legal challenge to the marijuana policy in\u00a0Austin<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0San Marcos<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, despite the ongoing litigation and advancement of the House and Senate bills, Texas activists have their targets set on yet another city, Kyle, where\u00a0they hope put an initiative before voters to enact local marijuana reform<\/a>\u00a0at the ballot this coming November.<\/p>\n Also last month, a House panel approved legislation that would to tighten regulations on intoxicating hemp products<\/a>\u2014a plan at odds with proposals from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) and the Senate, who favor a total ban on THC products.<\/p>\n Advocates and stakeholders have said a ban would effectively eradicate the state\u2019s hemp industry<\/a> by prohibiting consumable products derived from the plant that contain any amount of THC.<\/p>\n That and another measure from Rep. Joe Moody (D) to decriminalize cannabis statewide are among nearly two dozen cannabis-related proposals filed in Texas<\/a>\u00a0for the current legislative session. Various other measures would legalize adult-use marijuana, remove criminal penalties for cannabis possession and adjust the state\u2019s existing medical marijuana laws, among others.<\/p>\n Moody\u00a0sponsored a similar marijuana decriminalization bill last legislative session<\/a>, in 2023. That measure, HB 218, passed the House on an 87\u201359 vote but later died in a Senate committee.<\/p>\n The House had already\u00a0passed earlier cannabis decriminalization proposals<\/a>\u00a0during the two previous legislative sessions, in 2021 and 2019. But\u00a0the efforts have consistently stalled in the Senate<\/a>\u00a0amid opposition from the lieutenant governor.<\/p>\n Trump Administration\u2019s DOGE Cancels University\u2019s Contract To Monitor Marijuana Potency<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype<\/a> and Apollo<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Texas House Approves Bills To Speed Access To Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Following Federal Approval<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The Texas House of Representatives gave initial approval on Wednesday to a bill that would establish a state-backed study into the use of psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine to treat conditions such as PTSD and depression. Later in the day, the body also unanimously approved a complementary measure that would dictateContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81144"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81144"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81145,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81144\/revisions\/81145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n
\nRead More: Texas House Approves Bills To Speed Access To Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Following Federal Approval<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"